• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Mount Carmel ARP Church

SC PICTURE PROJECT 2 Comments

SC Picture Project / McCormick County / Mount Carmel ARP Church

Mount Carmel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in the community of Mount Carmel was a major factor in the development of this railroad town in the late nineteenth century. Though records of the community date as far back as 1836, the town was a small farming village until the addition of a post office in 1885. The following year saw the advent of the Savannah Valley Railroad in Mount Carmel as well as the arrival of Lodimont ARP Church from neighboring Abbeville District (now Abbeville County). The post office, railroad company, and church established Mount Carmel as a vibrant community during the post-Reconstruction height of South Carolina’s railroad era.

Mount Carmel ARP

Thomas E. Taylor of Greenville, 2008 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Lodimont ARP Church would eventually change its name to that of its new home and call itself Mount Carmel ARP Church. Lodimont ARP was formed in 1875 in the now-extinct village by the same name near Abbeville. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination began in South Carolina in Abbeville County in the 1780s and eventually migrated to nearby communities.

McCormick Mount Carmel ARP Church

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

This beautiful frame church in McCormick County is not to be confused with a nearby church in Abbeville County of the same name (sometimes known as Abbeville-Mt. Carmel ARP Church to avoid confusion). Nor is it to be confused with Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church (USA), also in the Mt. Carmel community. The former church is located in a different county, and the latter church serves a different denomination.

Mount Carmel ARP Church, Side View

Malena Kee of North Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Much of historic Mount Carmel remains as it was when it was developed in the late 1880s. Mount Carmel ARP Church is listed in the National Register as part of the Mount Carmel Historic:

Mount Carmel is a small town that developed in the 1880s, contemporary with the development of the Savannah Valley Railroad. The community was a flourishing village by the turn of the century. The district is located in the heart of the town and contains a high concentration of buildings constructed during the town’s period of prosperity, between 1885 and 1920. Included in the district are residential, commercial, institutional, religious, and industrial buildings, located in an irregular patter adjacent to the railroad tracks.

The district maintains integrity as a turn-of-the-century community; of the fifty-one properties contained in the boundaries, forty contribute to the historic character of the district. The district includes a collection of buildings which represent a range of late nineteenth and early twentieth century vernacular architectural modes such as the single-pile central hall farmhouse, the meeting house form, and the bungalow. The few key buildings invoke some elements of high style, including Victorian, Queen Anne, and Classical features.

Plan Your Trip: Mount Carmel ARP Church

Where is Mount Carmel ARP Church located?
Address: At the junction of South Carolina Highways 823 and 81, Mount Carmel, SC 29840
GPS Coordinates: 34.012640,-82.507537
What else should I see?
McAllister and Sons 0.6 mile
Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church 0.8 mile
Hester Cotton Gin 0.9 mile
Little River Truss Bridge 3.7 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • Mount Carmel Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    Mount Carmel ARP Church Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Mt. Carmel in McCormick CountyMount Carmel Presbyterian Church Lower Long CaneLower Long Cane Presbyterian Church Calhoun MillCalhoun Mill Hester Cotton GinHester Cotton Gin Mizpah ChurchMizpah Methodist Church

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ken Tinsley says

      January 3, 2016 at 12:36 PM

      Great Historical information. Thank you for recording it for future generations. The Savannah Valley Railroad Trail has been constucted from Willington to the McCormick State park and may be developed through this area into Abbeville County to the Calhoun Falls State Park.

      Reply
    2. Linn Johnson says

      September 28, 2014 at 12:25 PM

      A wonderful place to take pictures . Really pretty in the fall

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved